This brochure describes how cereal and oilseed crops are produced in Finland, and presents some special characteristics of our crop production and cereal chain.

Production of cereal and oilseed crops in Finland

– 2 –

Table of Contents

The clean soil, air, and water in Finland form the prerequisites for the production of high-quality and safe raw materials for different purposes.

In particular, high technical and hygienic quality numbers

among the strengths of Finnish agricultural products.

Finland is located in Northern Europe, mainly between the

60th and 70th latitudes, and is a part of the European Union.

Annually, approximately four million metric tons (mton) of

cereal and oilseed crops are produced as raw material for

feeds, foodstuffs and other purposes. Finland is the world’s

northernmost grain-producing country. Agricultural production

takes place on family-owned farms. Finland is located on the

coast of the Baltic Sea, which provides a shipping route to

Europe and onwards to other markets. Finland also has easy

connections to Russia via road and rail. Annually, approximately

500,000 metric tons of grain are exported from Finland.

The northern location sets some limits, for example with regard

to what plants can be cultivated. On the other hand, the cold

winter reduces the occurrence of plant diseases and pests. In

Finland, the cereal and oilseed crop yield is without exception

dried at the farms after harvesting to a moisture content of less

than 14 percent. This increases the homogeneity and retains

high grain quality.

Agricultural production in northern conditions ..........................................3

Production of cereal and oilseed crops .............................................................3

Growing conditions ........................................................................................3

Barley is the most produced cereal crop .......................................4

Constant demand for rye and oilseed crops ..............................5

Cereal and oilseed crops are produced

on family-owned farms ...................................................................................................5

Cultivation-related measures during the growing period ..................7

Agricultural plan and production factors .....................................7

Measures during the growing period ..............................................7

Short logistics chain from farms to grain users and ports .................9

Grain trade and export .............................................................................10

Briefly

This brochure has been written by the Finnish Cereal Committee

in co-operation with operators in the grain chain. It has been

funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

In Finland there are several grain dealers and other actors

in grain industry.

Further information:

Finnish Cereal Committee: www.vyr.fi

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry: www.mmm.fi

Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira www.evira.fi

Pictures:

Jukka Virolainen, Kati Lassi, Raisio, Leipätiedotus and Jorma Ruha

– 3 –

The utilised agricultural area in Finland totals 2.3 million

hectares. Agricultural land accounts for around eight percent of

the country’s surface area. Cereal crops are cultivated annually,

in an area of approximately one million hectares.

The growing conditions differ somewhat from, say, European

growing conditions due to Finland’s northerly location. For one

thing, the growing season is clearly shorter. Only spring-sown

varieties that have been bred or tested to suit our growing

conditions are cultivated on a larger scale. Due to the growing

conditions, the yield level (tn/ha) is lower than in the rest of

Europe.

Spring field work and sowings in Finland generally begin in May,

which is a couple of months later than spring sowings in Central

Europe. Harvesting generally begins at the start of August

and continues until September. A significant part of cereal

production is concentrated in Southern and Western Finland. In

Southern Finland, the thermal growing season generally lasts

for 175 to 185 days, while it is only around 105 days in the

northernmost parts of Finland.

Growing conditions

On the other hand, growing conditions are also beneficial to

the production, because cold winter reduces the number of

plant diseases and pests. Consequently, less plant protectants

are used, and the risk of their residues in the yield is therefore

reduced. Due to the climatic conditions, the cereal and oilseed

crops need to be dried after harvest, practically without

exception. This increases costs but improves the homogeneity

and retains high grain quality.

Finland is the world’s northernmost cereal-producing country,

located on the coast of the Baltic Sea. The annual production

of cereal and oilseed crops is four million metric tons (mton).

Approximately 500,000 metric tons of the yield are exported

annually to the global markets. In Finland, four cereal crops

are produced on a larger scale: barley, oats, wheat and rye.

Although Finland’s grain yield is rather small on a global scale,

Finland is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of

oats. Roughly half of annual grain production is used as feed for

livestock, and the rest for foodstuffs and other purposes.

Agricultural production in northern conditions

Growing season intensive and short

• The spring and early summer have relatively low rainfall, while the autumn sees heavier rain

• Days are long and light during the growing season

• In the major cereal crop production areas in the south-western part of the country, the effective heat summation during the growing season is around 1,300°C, and precipitation is around 340 mm.

Production of cereal and oilseed crops

The strengths of the Finnish grain chain lie in primary

production and the clean soil and air. The logistics chain from

the farms to the grain traders, industry, and the ports is short

and efficient. In Finland, primary production and the entire

foodstuffs chain are monitored closely at

several different stages, in order to ensure

the safety of the food on the

consumers’ plate.

– 4 –

Utilization of agricultural area and total yields of main crops in 2013

Area 1000 ha Yield

(1000 mton)

Average yield

(mton/ha)

Spring barley 494 1904 3,9

Spring oat 344 1197 3,5

Wheat 227 869 3,8

Rye 12 26 2,1

Grain total 1100 4044 3,7

Turnip and oilseed

rape

53 81 1,5

Grasslands 650

Other crops 141

Fallow area 254

Utilized

agricultural area

2259

Source: Tike

In addition to the primary cultivated crops potatoes, sugar

beet, peas, fava beans, oil and fiber flax, and caraway are also

produced.

Unlike in other EU countries, spring barley is the most cultivated cereal crop in Finland.

A majority of the barley is used as livestock feed directly at the

farms. Barley is also used in the malting, starch, and alcohol

industry and in the production of enzymes. Feed and malting

barley are also exported to the global markets.

In the marketing season of 2012/13, Finland was the world’s fourth largest and Europe’s second largest producer of oats.

In Finland, a majority of the oats are used as animal feed.

Roughly a third of Finland’s oat harvest is exported, for example

as raw material for the mill industry in Central Europe. Finland’s

oat yield accounts for around 13 percent of EU production.

On the global oat markets, after Canada Finland is the second

largest exporter of oats.

The use of oats in foodstuffs has increased, which has also

increased demand for oats globally. One of the reasons for this

is the good health properties of oats. Oats promote, for example,

the maintenance of normal blood glucose and cholesterol levels,

and its fibers support the digestion process.

Almost half of the wheat produced in Finland is used as livestock feed, the rest by the foodstuff industry.

Feed use has increased, for example due to the increase of

poultry production. Unlike in the rest of Europe, the growing

conditions stipulate that spring wheat is cultivated on roughly

90 percent of the area. The benefit of spring wheat is that it

often has better baking properties than winter wheat.

Cereal crops are cultivated on roughly half of Finland’s field

area (see Table). Four different cereal crops are in wide-scale

production in Finland: wheat, barley, oats, and rye. Organic

cereal crops are cultivated on approximately four percent of

the cereal crop cultivation area, and organic turnip rape on

approximately three percent of the oilseed crop cultivation area.

With regard to wheat, barley, and oats, the production in Finland

is sufficient to cover domestic consumption, and grains are also

exported. Rye and oilseed crops are also imported. The total

cereal harvest has averaged four million metric tons over the

last few years. Turnip and oilseed rape are the main oilseed

crops produced in Finland.

Barley is the most produced cereal crop

The quality factors of Finnish oats

• oats are well suited to the Finnish climate and soil

• a long tradition of cultivation, a high level of cultivation know-how, and a good selection of varieties

• oat kernels are large due to the long days

• oats have light-coloured hulls

• low hull content

• high hectolitre weight

• low moisture content

– 5 –

Rye production is concentrated in Southern Finland, and unlike

the other cereal crops, a majority of the varieties are autumn-

sown varieties. In Finland, rye is almost entirely used as human

food, although globally, it is classified as a feed grain. The rye

is used to bake sour rye bread, which is a staple of the Finnish

food tradition and diet. The popularity of rye is particularly

based on the taste characteristics of the sour rye bread and

its numerous health properties. Rye production does not meet

domestic demand.

Finland is the only country in the world where turnip rape is

the most important cultivated oilseed crop. The longer growing

period of oilseed rape limits its cultivation primarily to Southern

and Western Finland, although interest in its cultivation is

growing. Most turnip and oilseed rape varieties are spring-

sown. Domestic demand for oilseed crops outweighs

production. In addition to oil, valuable protein feed for

livestock is produced.

Constant demand for rye and oilseed crops

Cereal and oilseed crops are produced on family-owned farms

The prerequisites for clean and high-quality foodstuffs are

created during primary production on farms. Throughout the

cereal production process, special attention is paid to the

purity of the products, high technical and hygienic quality, and

traceability. EU and national legislation create the frameworks

and obligations for agricultural production and its monitoring. In

Finland, primary production and the entire foodstuffs chain are

closely monitored at several stages, in order to ensure the safety

of the food on the consumers’ plate.

Average quality of oats, spring wheat and feed barley in years 2009-2013

Oats Feed barley Spring wheat

TW (kg/hl) 56 64 81

Protein (%) d.m. 12,7 11,7 13,3

Starch (%) d.m. 61 68

Hagberg (s) 318

Wet Gluten (%) 27

Zeleny (ml) 55

Small kernels 2,0 mm (%) 7,1 2,7 2,4

Source: Grain Quality Survey, Finnish Food Safety Authority, Evira

– 6 –

Finland has been a member state of the European Union

(since 1995) and is covered by its common agricultural policy.

Finland’s policies for supporting agriculture and horticulture

are based on the forms of support set out in the EU’s Common

Agricultural Policy (CAP), supplemented by certain national

agricultural support schemes. In Finland the preconditions for

farming are quite difficult in many respects, especially due to

the short growing season and cold winter temperatures. In the

context of the CAP the whole country is currently classified as

less-favoured area. This means that, in addition to the support

available under the first pillar of the CAP, Finnish farmers are

eligible for LFA-support. Almost all farms receive agricultural

Finland is part of the European Union

support and subsidies have a major effect on agricultural

income also in Finland.

Finnish producers are interested in, aware of, and ready to

invest in sustainable agriculture. The commitment of Finnish

farms to the EU’s agri-environmental aid program has been

widespread – during the program period of 2007 to 2013, 90

percent of farmers and 95 percent of the field area were covered

by agri-environmental aid. With the reform of the EU’s common

agricultural policy, it is increasingly targeted at promoting the

state of the environment and the quality of the products.

Size distribution and number of farms in 2012

Arable land (hectares) Number of farms

0-25 29117

25-50 15016

50-75 7048

75-100 3613

100-200 3662

200- 586

Number of farms 59042

Source: Tike

A Finnish farm is family-owned

A typical Finnish farm is owned by the farmer and their family;

a family farm. Very little external workforce is used on Finnish

farms. The share of farms that are limited-liability companies is

around one percent.

In Finland, the structural change of agriculture has been rapid,

as it has been in the rest of Europe. In 2000, there were 80,000

farms in Finland, while in 2012 the number had fallen to less

than 60,000. In the same time period, the average field area

of the farms had increased from 28 hectares to 39 hectares. In

2012, 45 percent of farms were crop farms, while 31 percent

were livestock farms. The share of crop farms has been

constantly growing, while the share of livestock farms has been

falling.

– 7 –

Cultivation-related measures during the growing period

Finnish farms are required to keep parcel-based-records e.g. of

the crops cultivated and the cultivation-related measures taken

during the growing period. The following chapters describe

cultivation measures typically applied in Finland, and the special

characteristics of Finnish production.

The prerequisites for the successful crop production are

functional water economy and good soil structure in the field.

Functional drainage also reduces surface run-off and the run-off

of nutrients along with the soil.

Sowed crops and varieties are recorded in the cultivation plan

based on parcel accounting. Special characteristics of the plant,

the conditions in the area, and the crop rotation are taken into

account. Furthermore, a liming and fertilization plan is prepared,

taking into consideration the results of the soil fertility analysis.

The plan helps to optimize the fertilization and reduce the

nutrient load on water bodies.

Seed material that is healthy, viable and has a good germination performance forms a key production input factor.

In Finland, the Seed Trade Act stipulates that seed purchased

from outside the farm must be certified. When seed produced

on the farm is used, it is conditioned before sowing and the

weight and germination performance of one thousand seeds is

determined. Furthermore, seed treatment is recommended, as

this reduces seed-borne plant diseases.

Agricultural plan and production factors

Examples of taking the environment into consideration in production:

Measures required by the agri-environmental subsidy and the Nitrates Directive:

• Spreading manure late in the autumn and during the winter is prohibited

• Some of the farm’s fields must have plant cover throughout the winter

• Tilling of fields must be reduced

• An agricultural plan and a soil fertility analysis by agricultural parcel must be made on the farms

• Protective zones must be left along waterways and ditches.

The complementary conditions of the environmental subsidy also include:

• Taking the axle weight of machines into consideration and avoiding driving on wet fields.

Measures during the growing period

Planting and fertilization

A majority of the crop varieties cultivated in Finland are spring

varieties and sowed in May. Winter varieties are sowed in

August-September. Fertilizer placement during sowing can

be considered to be a special characteristic of Finnish crop

production. The fertilizers are placed in the immediate vicinity

of the seed during sowing, which increases the plant’s use of

nutrients. The amount of fertilizer is determined according to

the needs of the plant and the crop`s yield potential, taking

into consideration the parcel and the conditions of agri-

– 8 –

In Finland, special attention is paid to preventing common wild

oats (Avena fatua).

Farms and parcels where wild oats have been found are listed

in a special register. If an inspector finds a parcel to be free of

wild oats during two consecutive growing seasons, it can be

removed from the register. Failure to combat wild oats leads to a

reduction in agricultural subsidies.

Management of weeds, plant diseases, and pests

Different broad-leaved/grass and annual/perennial types of

weed species exist in the fields during the growing season. In

addition to herbicides, weeds in are managed through tillage,

crop rotation, and other options related to the cultivation

technique. Good soil structure and water economy also help to

manage weeds, as then the crop can effectively compete with

the weeds. In general, often the most problematic weeds to

control are perennial weeds that spread from their roots.

In addition to fungicides, plant diseases are managed by means

including crop rotation, the use of healthy and treated seeds,

tillage, and the use of growth regulators. In Finland, plant

diseases typical for barley and wheat are spot diseases, powdery

mildews, and various fungal diseases. The most harmful plant

disease affecting oats is oat leaf spot. Plant diseases affecting

turnip and oilseed rape include clubroot, white mould, and, in

some years, damping-off.

Cereal crop pests usually cause relatively few problems, and

pesticide applications are seldom done. Oilseed crops have

two main pests during the growing season: flea beetles at the

beginning of the growing season, and the pollen beetle, before

flowering. Pesticide application is performed when the pest

control threshold is exceeded.

The occurrence of various mycotoxins in the national cereal

yield is monitored annually, for example through monitoring

executed by the Finnish Cereal Committee. The grain trade and

industry operators perform analyses systematically in their self-

monitoring schemes. Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites produced

by Fusarium species (a genus of fungi). EU legislation has

set limit values for the Fusarium toxin deoxynivalenol (DON).

Immediate drying of the crops after harvesting, to a moisture

content of less than 14 percent, reduces mycotoxin occurrence.

Dry weather during early summer and moist weather during late

summer favour the development of Fusariums. Infection takes

place during bloom or later. Fusariums are managed using high-

quality, treated seeds and early-growing varieties. The risk can

also be reduced by crop rotation, fungicides, and generally by

investing in healthy crop vegetation. Methods for the prevention

of Fusariums are continuously being developed. Ochratoxin does

not appear in Finland.

environmental aid and the EU’s Nitrates Directive. Livestock

manure can also be used as a fertilizer. Additional fertilization

for winter varieties is applied during the spring as a surface

application.

The cadmium content of apatite, a phosphorus raw material for

fertilizer excavated in Finland, is low, due to which the cadmium

content of Finnish fertilizers is significantly lower than that of

fertilizers used elsewhere in the EU. In Finland, the cadmium

limits set for fertilizer products are lower than in the rest of

Europe. Cadmium might transfer to cultivated crops from our

naturally acidic soil more easily than from soil with high lime

content.

The amount of soluble selenium is low in Finnish soil. Selenium

has been added to Finnish artificial fertilizers, as it promotes the

health of people and livestock. Thanks to the selenium added,

the selenium intake of Finns is at the recommended level, as it is

obtained from food, including milk, meat, and grain products.

In Finland, only products for which the composition has been

analyzed may be used as fertilizers and soil conditioners. In this

way, heavy metals can be prevented from ending up in the soil

and the products.

Plant protection

Fewer plant protectants are used in the prevention of plant

diseases, pests, and weeds in Finland than in the EU on average.

In 2012, an average of 0.67 kg of active plant protectant

ingredients per field hectare was used. The pre-harvest treatment

of cereals intended for food purposes with glyphosate is

prohibited in Finland. In practice, this also applies to feed grain,

as it is one of the quality criteria for the majority of grain buyers.

Post-harvest treatments are not performed in Finland during

storage to combat pests or diseases, as they are usually non-

existent due to the cold winters.

EU legislation requires that plant protectants are used in a

balanced and preventive manner only when required. Agri-

environmental aid also requires that farmers make plans on how

plant protection will be performed. In the use of the products,

things to take into consideration include the limitations set by

waterways, and avoiding building a resistance to pesticides

and herbicides. A farmer using plant protectants must complete

training every five years. The equipment used must also be tested.

Farmers must apply the general principles of Integrated

Pest Management (IPM) beginning on 1 January 2014. This

requirement applies to farmers both in Finland and within

the whole EU. The measures used in Finland to reduce the

environmental and health risks from the use of plant protectants

are recorded in the National Action Plan (NAP).

– 9 –

Harvest

In Finland, cereal and oilseed crops are harvested in August-

September, once the crops have fully matured. The crops are

harvested with a combine harvester. A majority of the farms

have their own machinery, or use common machines with their

neighboring farms.

Due to the rather wet and cool autumn, cereal and oilseed crop

yields must be dried. Almost every farm has its own hot air

dryer. In most cases, cereals must be dried to a moisture level

of less than 14 percent, and oilseed crops to a moisture level of

less than 9.5 percent. Drying must be carried out as quickly as

possible after harvesting, in order to retain high grain quality.

When the crops rotate in the dryer, weed seeds, pieces of

straw, and other possible impurities are also often eliminated.

Additionally, the grains are honed during drying, increasing the

hectoliter weight and making the grains easier to handle. The

crop harvest also becomes mixed during drying, which increases

the homogeneity of the batch. The cereal and oilseed crops

are cooled down to storage temperature prior to storage and

immediately after drying. Storage primarily takes place on the

farms.

Short logistics chain from farms to grain users and ports

In Finland, grain is increasingly commonly stored on the

farms instead of in the warehouses of grain companies, and

is delivered from the farms directly to the industry or ports.

Farmers are required to keep silo-specific records and carry out

self-monitoring of storage conditions.

In Finland, grain is not subjected to chemical post-harvest

treatments. The access of rodents, birds, and other such pests

to storage spaces has been prevented, and the conditions are

monitored throughout the year.

It is a common practice in Finland that, before selling the

harvest, the farmer takes a preliminary sample of the grain

batch and sends it to the buyer. Based on the results of an

analysis of the preliminary sample, the grain is then directed to

the appropriate use based on its quality.

During intake, the recipient of the load performs quality analyses

before accepting the product and mixing it with other batches.

The analyses are performed separately for each arriving vehicle

and batch.

In Finland, grain is primarily transported from the farms to

the silos belonging to the industry or grain merchants by

professional haulers. The size of a typical load is around 44

metric tons of grain.

Grain information travels on the Grain Passport

• In co-operation with the grain trade, industry, and other operators in the grain sector, the Finnish Cereal Committee prepared a common grain dispatch in the spring of 2013, the Grain Passport

• A majority of the operators in the grain chain have replaced the company-specific grain dispatches with it.

• The Grain Passport is used in the transfer of information when a batch of grain is sold and delivered from the farm to the recipient’s warehouse

• In addition to information on the grain batch, information on the production, the three previous transport loads, and the cleaning of the cargo space is required on the Grain Passport

• The Grain Passport improves the traceability of the Finnish grain chain and brings added value to its operators

– 10 –

Livestock sector is the largest user of grain in Finland

In Finland, the livestock sector is the largest user of grain. In the

marketing year 2012/13, 67 percent of the crop yield was used

as livestock feed and 15 percent for foodstuffs. Approximately

60 percent of the feed grain was barley, 23 percent was oats,

and the rest was wheat. Feed use of wheat has increased with

the growth in poultry production. The use of oats as feed is also

increasing.

Grain use in foodstuffs industry in year 2013 (metric tonnes)

Source: Tike

66 270

14 004

91 959 255 086

Wheat Rye Barley Oats

In the Finnish foodstuffs industry, the use of rye and oats

has increased, while the use of wheat has slightly decreased.

Finnish consumers eat roughly 70 to 80 kg of grain products

per person annually. The industry uses more rye and turnip and

oilseed rape than is produced in Finland.

Grain trade and export

Finland’s agricultural sector is a part of a more extensive global

operating environment. Events on the global cereal and oilseed

markets are reflected in the internal markets and, on the other

hand, in the export operations.

During the marketing season, roughly half of the grain from

each year’s crop production (2 million mtons) is sold by farmers

to grain traders/merchants, other farms, or directly to industry.

The share of feed trade between farms forms around 20 percent

of all grain trade. Grain is traded throughout the year, and

the peaks in demand have been alleviated to a certain degree

by the increased storage capacity of the producers and the

increased competition between the buyers.

The grain trade/merchants and industry make agreements with

the farmers before the growing season. These agreements aim

to even out grain deliveries; on the other hand, the agreements

also reduce the market risks for all operators. The agreements

usually specify the amount of grain to be bought, its purpose

of use and quality requirements, the variety, and the delivery

and payment schedule. The sale price of the harvest can remain

open, or can be agreed upon when the agreement is concluded.

In the agreements, the price is in majority cases remained open,

when contracts are drafted. After harvest, the merchants and

industry find a suitable use for the grain based on its quality

information, preferably without intermediate storage.

During the marketing season, Finland exports 500,000 metric

tons of grain, depending on the market situation and the

domestic crop yield. The primary export product is oats. In

addition to oats, feed and bread wheat, and feed and malting

barley are exported. There are several grain export companies,

and grain is exported to, for example, Europe, North Africa, and

the United States. The interest of the agricultural producers in

grain exports, for example in the form of export groups, has

increased over the last couple of years, but the volumes of

producer-driven exports have thus far remained small. Grain is

primarily exported from Finland by sea. The primary export ports

are located in Naantali, Rauma, Vaasa, Loviisa, and Kotka.

Grain use in feed industry in year 2013 (metric tonnes)

Source: Tike

179 009

226 089

200 179

Wheat Rye Barley Oats